Poker Night
by anewsgirl
Summary: How do Naruto and his friends relax and catch-up on a regular basis? With a poker night! Various pairings. May contain slight OCC. Reviews welcome!
1. The Invitations

Poker Night

Summary: How do Konoha's finest generation of shinobi relax? With a poker night! Various pairings. My first attempt to write something humorous.

"Hey! Naruto! Shikamaru! Choji! Wait up!" The three shinobi halted as they heard those words coming from a familiar voice. Shikamaru and Choji stopped talking. One of the boys, the blond turned around to see Rock Lee calling them. It seemed to him that no matter how many years passed, Lee never changed. At twenty-one, Lee was still a hardworking, high-energy ninja.

"Hey Thick Brows," Naruto greeted him. "Is this about Poker Night?" They had been discussing holding one that week because no one was out on a mission. Whenever the former members of teams Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi and Gai were off-duty, they held Poker Night to unwind and catch up. They happened more and more rarely after the youngest of the group, Hinata, had turned twenty because they were all jounins.

"Yes, it is! I'm the host tonight! I wanted to know if you were coming," he answered. They each took turns hosting based on who had won the most last time. In the last tournament, Naruto had quit playing early after winning a large sum of money, but Lee had won the most by successfully fooling Sakura into folding when he only had a pair of twos. In her fury, she had accidentally broken Naruto's card table into a pile of rubble. He would not be able to host another poker night until he replaced them.

"We have no other plans tonight," answered Shikamaru with a sigh. The unmotivated shinobi actually rather enjoyed playing poker and was almost as good as it as he was at shogi. He had won a tidy sum of money last time. Choji nodded in agreement; for him, poker night was an excuse to see Ino outside of missions.

"You bet I'm coming! Team Kakashi has today off, so Sai and Sakura-chan should be able to come too," answered the blond. "Sai is picking her and Ino up from the hospital tonight because we were going to go out for ramen."

Lee smiled brightly. "Tenten-chan is probably inviting her as we speak!"

_______________________________________________________________________

"Are you coming tonight?" Sakura looked up from the weapon user's injury. Tenten had returned from a B-rank mission with her former teammates Neji and Lee with a injury to her knee that was beyond the first aid skills of the two jounin.

"Who's hosting it tonight, Tenten-chan," asked the pink-haired medic.

"Lee, of course." she answered."I thought you of all people would know after losing to him in the last game." Sakura's hands started glowing as she healed what she could. Tenten added, "I know I'm going tonight. Will I be going on crutches?"

"No, your injury is not severe. I healed the worst of it, but the rest has to heal the natural way to prevent further strain," she answered. "You can't go on any missions until it heals."

The older girl then commented "You didn't say if you were coming or not." Sakura gave no answer. "Do you have a shift tonight," she asked.

"No, I just don't want to be cleaned out by Naruto, Shikamaru and Lee again," Sakura answered. Tenten laughed, remembering how Sakura had lost nearly a week's paycheck gambling. She was Tsunade's apprentice in more ways than one.

"You need to learn when to fold and how to maintain a better poker face," she answered. Hiding her emotions was far from one of Sakura's strengths.

"It's harder to maintain a good poker face than I thought. Not all of us are as good as Sai!" The two girls started laughing. The "emotionless" shinobi had the best poker face of any of the regulars.

"What's so funny?" Ino had come into the room with a box of medical supplies. She handed an ace bandage to Sakura.

"Here's the supplies you wanted Forehead," she told Sakura. "Are you okay," she then asked Tenten.

"Yeah, it's only a bad sprain and some bruising near the skin," answered Sakura. "We were talking about Poker Night. Are you coming Ino-Pig?" Ino enjoyed Poker Night as a chance to hit on Sai, who had yet to release she had feelings for him.

"Yeah, we could use a night off. We'll invite Sai when he comes to pick us up tonight," she answered blushing faintly.

"Besides I want to see if you actually learned your lesson from last time and actually fold during a hand when Naruto and Shikamaru keep raising."

_______________________________________________________________________

The serene grounds of the Hyuga compound were far from serene at that moment. The sounds of fighting could be heard from the front gate. That could only mean one thing: Hinata and Neji were training.

"You have improved so much since we first started Hinata-sama," Neji commented. "You still have a long way to go before you can become more than just the heiress of our clan," he added.

"Well, I have no plans to become the Head so soon, Onii-san," she answered. "Our current Head is in good health and still has many years ahead of him." He gave her a rare smile.

"That should not give you an excuse to not train hard," he replied in his usual serious tone. "You have other things that you want to do before you become the Head."

"Hai. I want to be a good jounin-sensei. I'm going to be assigned a team soon," she informed him. His pale eyes widened.

"Already? You only reached this rank a few years ago. I didn't have a team until this year. It's a lot of responsibility." She nodded.

"I feel I'm ready for it," she answered. Neji gave another uncharacteristic smile.

"Before you take on the responsibility of a team, would you like to go to Poker Night tonight? Lee is the host this time. Also pass along the invitation to those teammates of yours," he asked her.

"Sure. It sounds like fun," she replied.


	2. More Invitations & Awkward Moments

Poker Night

Chapter 2: More Invitations & Awkward Moments

"Why are we doing this again, Tenten," asked the long-haired jounin. Before them was the door to Lee's apartment. Tenten had dragged him here against his will from his room at the Hyuga Compound several hours before they were supposed to be there. How she had managed it on crutches amazed him.

"We're helping him set-up," the brunette answered. "Remember what would happened last time he hosted?" Neji winced at the memories of the last time Lee had hosted. The overly excitable jounin had accidentally bought sake instead of water, culminating in him and Sakura getting into a drunken brawl that had nearly destroyed the entire building, due mostly to Sakura's superhuman strength. Neji nodded.

"So we're here to make sure he didn't buy any sake or anything else he could get drunk-on again," he asked his teammate. As usual he had summed it up in as few words as possible.

"Hai. Also he asked if we would help him today last week remember?" Tenten rolled her eyes impatiently. He may have been a genius, but small details were not his forte. Lifting one of her crutches, she used it to knock on the door. However in doing this action, the usually graceful kunoichi lost her balance. Neji's inattention and inactive Byakugan prevented him from catching her and she landed on top of him, her crutches on either side of them. They were face-to-face on the ground.

"This is awkward," remarked Tenten. "At least Lee didn't see this." "Hn," was Neji's only reply. He made no effort to move. She attempted to move, but found it difficult due to her injury. "Any way you could help?"

Suddenly the door opened. The usually talkative shinobi was struck dumb and mute at the sight of his two teammates on the floor of the hallway.

"Could you help us up?"

_______________________________________________________________________

In front of the hospital was a dark-haired young man in a dark outfit consisting of a sleeveless shirt, pants and sandals. On his left shoulder was a tattoo of a spiral symbol. In front of him was a sketchbook. He was drawing a landscape of the village using a brush pen. The serenity of the moment was something, he only felt when he was drawing. This was one of the most peaceful....

"Hey Sai," shouted a familiar voice. He looked up to see Naruto running towards him. So much for a little serenity before he picked up Sakura and Ino. A look of confusion crossed his face.

"I thought I was picking up the girls and we were meeting you at Ichiraku for ramen. Did something happen?"

"Hai. That was our plan, but I ran into Lee, who invited us to a Poker Night tonight," the blond answered. "Tenten was supposed to have invited them, but I wanted to come to make sure that they knew about tonight and to tell you."

"Are we still going out for ramen," Sai asked Naruto. He didn't like it when things changed without warning.

"Hai, but we're going to Lee's afterwards," he replied. "Can you go?"

Before he could answer, the two kunoichi they were waiting-on walked out of the hospital. Sakura walked up to Naruto and greeted him with a bear hug and a passionate kiss. Their very public display of affection was not a sight their two friends were ready to see on what was supposed to be their first date. Ino and Sai stared at their hands unsure of how to greet each other.

"Do you guys know about poker at Lee's tonight," asked Ino, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"Naruto was just telling me about it as we waited for you," answered Sai quickly, unsure of what else to say. This was the first time he had been asked out by someone and he was unsure of what to do. He had never gone out on a date before.

Sakura had not allowed him to check-out any books from the library about dating nor to read any of the books that Naruto's godfather had written. He wasn't even sure if he felt the right feelings for someone who had accepted a date because he felt nothing for her beyond what he felt for any of his other friends, but he figured it was a valuable experience.

"Are you guys ready," asked Sakura. "Sure" answered the two in unison. Sai thought maybe it would be easier than he thought to get through this ritual that most of his peers called a date.

_______________________________________________________________________

Hinata found her teammates at their usual place on the training grounds where Kurenai-sensei had administered their Genin Exam and later had taught them to behave as a team. They were sparring, a nightly practice that they had established as teens.

"Hey Kiba-kun! Shino-kun," she called. She hated shouting, but it was the only way to get their attention when they were so distracted. Akamaru started barking in response.

"Hinata-chan," Shino greeted her. "What brings you here this evening?" It was unusual for her to show-up at their nightly match, although she had always been welcome to come and even to join-in.

"What's up," greeted the dog-nin. He was curious about why she had interrupted their match

Neji-oniisan told me that Lee-kun is hosting poker night tonight and asked me to tell you two," she answered in her usual soft tone. They were unsurprised by her news. It had been nearly two weeks since the last one.

"Do you want to go tonight," asked Kiba. His poker skills left much to be desired, but he went to hang-out with his friends and to attempt to get closer to her. "I'll take you if you want to," he continued.

"Hai. It would be nice if you took me. Oniisan is at Lee's with Tenten, helping him to set-up, so he cannot escort me to Lee's apartment." Although she was a kunoichi, she was not always comfortable walking around the village at night by herself.

"We'll both take you," said Shino. Kiba groaned silently. Akamaru whined at his owner's distress.


	3. Confessions, Ramen & Confusion

Poker Night

Chapter 3: Confessions, Ramen & Confusion

Shogi was logical, simple even when you knew your opponent well. Poker was another matter entirely. It was more complex. A game that involved a deck of fifty-four cards where so much was dependent upon the "luck of the draw" as Naruto put it. The most important factor was learning the different signals each player gave when they were playing. Some, like Sakura and Lee, were plainly obvious, but others, like Sai and Shino, were harder to read. It was also a much more social game.

If the troublesome kunoichi, Temari no Suna was in the village, she would have come with him. She was a thinker, whose abilities were rival to his. Add her competitive streak and the game was no longer simple. Did he actually miss that troublesome jounin? They had become much closer since they had first met during the Chunin Exams, but were that that close? It was far too troublesome to sort out the feelings that were confusing him; the answer would come to him eventually.

"You miss her, don't you?" asked a familiar voice. Shikamaru did not even get-up from his comfortable position on his bed. The window was open so he could watch the clouds. Knowing that his best friend would want a verbal answer, he replied "Why would I miss a woman more troublesome than my mother?"

"Admitting to yourself how you really feel is too _troublesome_," Choji asked. Shikamaru gave no reply. He then added. "So I guess I should not tell you that she has a boyfriend in Suna?" The lazy shinobi twitched considerably. Choji laughed.

"It's not as _troublesome_as you make it out to be sometimes, Shikamaru," he continued. "If you like Temari-san, just tell her next time she comes on a mission."

"I'll tell her when you admit to Ino how you feel about her," replied his friend. This time, Choji twitched. Shikamaru smiled, knowing his words had done their job.

_______________________________________________________________________

Ramen was far from her favorite foods, but she had wanted to go out on a double date with Sakura and Naruto. The former was still a ramen-addict after so many years and even a few attempted interventions. He had even brought Sakura and Sai over to the dark side. Ichiraku Ramen had been Team 7's spot since their genin days. It did not seem right for her to be here on a date with Sai.

She would have preferred the barbecue restaurant that Team Asuma favored. The food was better, the atmosphere more comfortable and the feeling of comfort as she leaned against Chouji....wait...why was she thinking about her teammate that way? She was supposed to be dating the artist-nin of Team Kakashi. However the relationship was not progressing well.

Sai was a good friend and teammate, but there was no chemistry between them. He was also clueless about relationships. Also she thought he did not have feelings for her. He may have called her "gorgeous" when he met her, but he seemed to have gotten over any crush he had once had on her.

"You're being quiet. Did I do something to upset you,"asked her date, his dark eyes full of concern. "Please tell me what I did? I'm not very good at guessing this sort of thing." Sai's progress since four years ago was good, but the old him was still there in unfamiliar situations. He was on his first date with her.

"Sai has a point, Ino-pig," Sakura teased. "We've never seen you this quiet before. It's a nice change." She and Naruto laughed and Sai smiled.

"Shut it Forehead," she replied as she punched Naruto in the shoulder. Turning to Sai, she told him, "We need to talk." The other two exchanged looks of sympathy, knowing what would happen next. Ino dragged Sai outside the ramen stand.

"What do we need to talk about," asked Sai. "Is it serious?" He was very confused, having never experienced a date before. "Did I do something wrong," he asked again. Ino twitched.

"No, you were doing everything right. I just have one question. Do you want to be more than just friends and teammates," she asked him. Sai's eyes widened.

"I was not sure of what would come out of tonight. I don't know. Am I supposed to feel a certain way," he replied.

"Yes. When a guy likes a girl, he knows," she replied. "You don't feel that way about me, do you?" Sai sighed.

"No, I don't. I thought this would be a good experience for me." Ino twiched again. "However, I noticed when I accepted your offer, your fat teammate got rather upset. Maybe he has those feelings for you." He then added, "You seem to have them for him."

"Don't ever call him that again!" Ino slapped him so hard he flew into a pole ten feet behind him. Sai had flashbacks of when Sakura had hit him in their first mission. Why did kunoichi channel their emotions through their fists? Maybe It would be safer to date someone who had not been trained to seduce and kill since childhood.

"Let's go back inside," he replied. Ino agreed. The female ramen cook, Ayame, looked quite pretty today. Feeling bold, he decided to ask her out. She was not likely to be able to hurt him.

"Would you like to go out with me," he asked. A serving utensil made contact with his head. "Rule one of dating, Sai-kun is 'do not ask out another girl while on a date no matter how badly it's going'."

Finally he had found someone who could teach him a thing or two about dating. Maybe he did not need to find out everything from books.

_______________________________________________________________________

"Thank you, Neji-kun and Tenten-chan. You were a great help to me." The overly energetic ninja was happy to see his apartment ready for the night's festivities. Although he was a fairly clean person, his apartment had been sloppy from going on back-to-back missions the past month, leaving him little time to clean-up.

"Do you need to change," asked Tenten. "We can greet anyone who shows up early" Neji nodded in agreement. Lee looked down at his attire, he was wearing green pants, a green shirt and a bright pink flowered apron. He blushed.

"No, I just need to remove this apron before Naruto-kun or anyone else sees it," he replied. "Why was I wearing this?" Tenten and Neji laughed.

"You were wearing it when you opened the door," replied Neji, not bothering to hide his amusement at his friend's situation.

"You didn't realize you were wearing it," asked Tenten.

"I forgot to take it off," he commented in an unusually deadpan voice. "I hope I was not wearing it when I ran into Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji earlier. My pride as a shinobi, as a man depends on it!"

"You're a man," asked his teammates in unison. The usually chatty Lee had no reply as his face turned a vivid shade of violet mixed with red.


	4. Triangles & Old Bets

Poker Night

Chapter 4: Triangles & Old Bets

After her conversation with Sai, the rest of the dinner went pretty well. Sakura was initially angry at him when he asked out Ayame in front of Ino, but once she explained that they had decided to stay friends and not continue dating, the Fifth's apprentice had calmed down, but not before her teammate was covered in bruises. Sai's decision to not date kunoichi was not an unwise one. However he seemed to have won over the ramen cook, Ayame. They had a date the following week.

She wondered how she was going to explain the situation to her teammates. Shikamaru and Choji had become overprotective of her as the only female member of their team as well as the youngest. Despite the fact she was an adult of twenty years, only a day younger than Shikamaru, had been the first to be promoted to jounin rank and was a talented medic-nin to boot, they still saw her almost as a little sister, as someone they needed to protect.

"You're worried," commented Sai as he limped along aside her. She thought briefly that she should heal the injuries that she and Sakura had inflicted upon him once she got the chance.

"Not really," she answered. "I was just thinking about something," she added quickly. Would Sai be offended if he knew her mind was on her teammates already.

"About the reaction of Choji-kun when you tell him," teased the artist-nin. Without thinking, she slapped him on his shoulder. Sai doubled over in pain because she had hit a spot both she and Sakura had hit earlier. Her medic training then took over.

"Gomennasai. Let me heal some of those bruises so you can survive tonight." He agreed as he saw the green chakra form in her hands.

_______________________________________________________________________

A short distance behind them, Sakura and Naruto were discussing the events that had just occurred, attempting to make sense of a confusing double date.

"I cannot believe he asked out Ayame in front of Ino. He deserves every bruise we gave him." Sakura was livid at the artist-nin's behavior that night. Maybe she should have let him check out _Dating for Dummies _from the library last week after Ino asked him out.

"I can't believe that Ayame said yes," answered her boyfriend. Naruto was surprised that woman who had once had a crush on their jounin-sensei was now going on a date with their teammate. The fact that Sai had actually asked someone out amazed him.

"However, did you have to hit him so hard? I think he's in pain right now. Ino is healing him. Look!" Naruto pointed to the duo in front of them. Ino was using her healing technique. Sakura winced.

"Maybe I was a little rough on Sai," she responded. She did regret hurting her teammate.

"The last time you hit him that hard was our first mission with him," commented Naruto. "She can take care of herself. She was the second in our year to become a 're too overprotective of Ino, just like Shikamaru and Choji. "

"I'm overprotective of her for the same reasons as those two," she answered. "She's my best friend." He nodded in agreement.

"However, I think Choji wants to be more than just her best friend," he told her. "I think he wants to finally make his move. All I can say is it's about time." Sakura slapped him lightly, using no chakra nor effort, a subtle way she flirted with him.

"Are you only saying that because if they got together tonight you would win the pool that Shikamaru started when we were in the Academy?"

"Guilty," he replied. His skill at gambling made up for what he lacked in intellect.

"How are you so good at winning this type of thing," she asked him, disappointed that once again she would lose money gambling. She truly was the Fifth's apprentice.

"Instinct," he answered.

_______________________________________________________________________

The streets of the Hidden Leaf village were full of people, despite the late hour. Perhaps it was the inviting coolness of the summer night or the lightning bugs casting a glow upon the streets. Whatever the reason, the crowds were annoying Shikamaru. If he had known how troublesome it would be to go to Lee's this evening, he would have skipped out on Poker Night all-together. However Choji's unusual silence was a sign that something was wrong. Maybe his well-spoken words had struck a chord with his best friend. Their teammate was probably wrapping-up her date with Sai at that very moment. Neither liked to miss a chance to beat Sakura at poker. He wondered if Ino's date had gone well. If Sai had hurt her in any way, no matter how troublesome it was, the artist-nin would pay.

"I wonder how her date with Sai went." Choji avoided his best friend's gaze. He didn't want to know. If it went well, it would only make him more jealous and unable to hide his feelings for her. If it went badly, then she would most likely get hurt. He did not like either of those possibilities. Shikamaru noticed his lack of response.

"The most likely outcome is that it didn't work out. Sai isn't capable of putting up with someone as troublesome as Ino."

"How is Ino troublesome," he asked. "You've been calling her that for years along with your mom and Temari-san." He paused. "Is that how you refer to the ones you care about the most?" He decided the easiest answer would be the truth.

"She's a sister to me. You know that. Don't take out your jealousy on me. Just tell her how you feel," he told his teammate. "She likes as much as you like her."

"Are you sure," he asked. Shikamaru nodded, not even bothering with a verbal response. He then remembered the pool he had set-up back in their Academy Days when he first noticed the sparks between them. Once again the pool would be won by Naruto. How he managed to win every pool amazed him. Shikamaru chuckled, knowing once again Naruto would win in a game of gambling.

_______________________________________________________________________

Hinata looked in the mirror. She was wearing simple civilian attire consisting of a violet and white shirt and black pants. Her long dark hair shone. Despite Ino's vain beliefs about herself, she knew she was one of the most stunning kunoichi their village had produced. She had unknowingly taunted the hearts of many men, shinobi and civilians alike, including her teammates.

Shino was quiet and protective. Although few saw his face, his true self was much easier to detect. He had a kind, caring heart, even if it was the home of many of his insects. However maybe it was a sign of how much he cared that so many of his insects lived in that part of his chakra system.

Kiba was the opposite in demeanor, but similar. He cared for her almost as much as he did about his family or his partner, Akamaru. Despite knowing that many girls would be offended to be a second to a nin-hound, she knew how special the bond between the two was to him. This was her proof of how much he cared for her.

Although she had feelings for them as friends and teammates, she wasn't sure if she had romantic feelings for either one of them. After having an unrequited crush on Naruto for so long, she wasn't sure about how she felt about the other guys in her life. Maybe she should just let herself move-on before she attempted a romantic relationship with anyone. Maybe she should talk to her onii-san later.

The bell rang. Hinata opened it to find both of her teammates at the door. Shino looked displeased under his hood and sunglasses while Kiba seemed upset. She then noticed his partner was missing.

"Where is Akamaru," she asked, concerned. Kiba's expression brightened slightly at her reaction. Shino's eyebrows were raised.

"He's outside of the gate. The members of the branch family at the main gate wouldn't let him past them," he answered. The fact she noticed his partner's absence gave him some hope. "Let's go rejoin him and head to Lee's place."

Hinata attempted to make small talk with the both of them on the way there. "So how do you think Ino's date with Sai went?" Both boys groaned.


	5. Confrontations & Truths

Poker Night

Chapter 5: Confrontations & Truths

"Sai-kun, can I ask you something," inquired Ino. There was one question that had been bothering her most of the night and after he had asked out Ayame, she had another.

"Hai. I will answer them if I can," he replied. "Just promise you will not hit me again if you do not like my answers." The artist-nin knew he was covered in bruises and didn't want to add to his growing collection.

"Why did you say yes when I asked you out," she asked. It was the question that had been gnawing at her curiousity since he had accepted her offer last week. She could not predict his answer.

"I still do not understand how emotions and feelings work that well. I knew you had them for me, but I was not sure if I had the same for you. I thought if I went on a date with you I could figure it out and learn from the experience, especially after Sakura would not let me borrow a book on dating from the library." There was a pause. "I am still learning how to be a normal male after a lifetime of programming by the Foundation."

To his surprise, Ino did not hit him this time, but wrapped her arms around him. She was hugging him. What did he do to deserve one? His confusion was mounting. Dating was maybe a bit to advanced a social interaction for him.

"What did I do that you're doing this," he asked gently, very confused. To his further surprise Ino laughed.

"You're a sweet guy, Sai. You just need to learn to relax a bit more. Dating is not that complicated. You managed to get Ayame to accept your invitation. Why did you ask her out? Do you like her?" More questions from the blond kunoichi. Sakura was right; Ino was such a gossip. He decided to tell her the truth in hopes that it would end her question.

"I decided dating a kunoichi was too dangerous for me. Ayame has always been kind to me and she is pretty, not in the way, you are, but she is quite pretty." He braced himself for a possible beating. Ino was sensitive about her looks. To his surprise, she did nothing.

"Sounds like you have feelings for her," she whispered in his ear. Although it was dark, the artist-nin could tell he was blushing by the feeling of warmth on his normally cheeks.

___________________________________________________________________

Lee's face had finally regained its color despite the fact he might have greeted his friends in a pink flowery apron. Over the years he had learned to laugh at himself and too not take things as seriously as he had in his teens.

"So what if I wore an apron," he told Neji and Tenten. "At least I was not actually wearing women's clothes." Neji groaned at the mental image in his head. the sight of Lee in a dress came to mind. Then suddenly the image changed to Tenten in the same dress, looking much prettier. He sighed. His teammate was on his mind a lot lately. The incident in the hall earlier had not helped.

The feeling of her on top of him was like nothing else he had known. Although many of the guys he had graduated with had maintained crushes on her, he did not notice her back then. It was not until he became a jounin that he began to notice her. How graceful she was when she fought, how her dark hair shone in the sun, how her clothes tactfully showed her petite frame without flaunting it.

"Lee," he called. "Can you help me with something in the kitchen?" Lee's eyes widened in confusion as he followed Neji into his own kitchen. "Tenten, could you set-up the table in there?" The kunoichi nodded and began to put poker chips and cups at each place. She would be distracted long enough for them to talk.

"Is there something you want to discuss, Neji-kun," he asked. The jounin nodded.

"Does Tenten seem okay to you," he asked. "I'm worried about her after our last mission." Personally, he still felt responsible for her injuries and Lee understood that.

"Neither one of us could have reacted in time to protect her. Tenten-chan is a tough kunoichi. Most other shinobi would have come back with far worse than her knee sprain. You are just overprotective of her and you always have been because you have liked her since we were genin." Neji panicked.

"Hn," he answered. How does that baka see so clearly what I cannot? I like my teammate. How does she feel about me I wonder...

"Tenten-chan likes you too," said Lee interrupting his thoughts. Neji did not even attempt to answer his friend as he left the room. He knew what he had to do. He crossed the living room, where Tenten was sitting at a chair. He sat in the one nec to hers and brought it closer.

"We need to talk," he said. Tenten nodded, confused about what was happening. Neji was being both unusually talkative and abrupt. He only acted like this when he was nervous about something. "I'm sorry you got hurt," he said at last.

"There was nothing you could have done, you were fighting the leader of those rouge-nins," she answered, her heart beating faster than she had ever known it to do. Even with his eyes inactive, he noticed the change in her heartbeat. She was as nervous as he was at the moment. He decided to take a took her hands in his own and kissed her. Tenten kissed him back. They then heard a click.

Lee had his camera out. He had proof Neji and Tenten were together. Yet another pool would end tonight. He was attempting to remember who would win this particular pool and groaned. Once again Naruto had won a pool. He never seemed to lose when it came to gambling.

___________________________________________________________________

Kiba walked from the Hyuga compound to Lee's apartment. Akamaru was on his right and Hinata on his left. Next to her was Shino. Although he thought of the bug-user as a good friend, his presence was unwelcome right now.

He had a crush on Hinata and wanted to make his move. That would be impossible with Shino present. He even suspected that his teammate liked her also. He had enough variables to deal with at the moment.

Hinata had liked Naruto for years and had only recently given-up on him. He did not even know if she was up to starting a relationship or if she was still healing from the heartbreak his friend had caused her.

"You're quiet tonight, Kiba-kun," she commented. "Are you okay?" Great now he was concerning her.

"Hinata is right. Are you okay," asked Shino, his concern genuine. Despite their current rivalry, he could not bring himself to even dislike the bug-user because of his kindness. Maybe Hinata would be better off with someone like him.

"I'm fine. I just have some stuff on my mind," he answered. Akamaru barked, his way of letting Kiba know he knew he was lying. "I'll explain to you later," he whispered to the dog. The trio walked in silence the rest of the way along the main road to Lee's apartment.

___________________________________________________________________

"It looks like they've settled their differences," said Naruto. "I don't believe it." Sakura grasped his hand and laughed.

"There wasn't much to settle. Sai doesn't like Ino. Ino is head over heels for Chouji and doesn't realize it. They probably realized that they're best off as friends." Naruto looked down at his girlfriend in disbelief.

"Ino likes Chouji? He's had a crush on her since the Academy. Shikamaru set-up a pool on the odds of it happening back then too. If they get together, I'll win it." Naruto smiled at the thought of it. Gama-chan was going to be quite full when he left tonight.

"After poker tonight, do you want to come to my apartment to have some tea and just talk," he offerred. Despite the assumptions of many of their teammates, due largely to their age and the number of nights Sakura spent at Naruto's, all they ever did was drink tea and talk before falling asleep.

"Sounds like fun," she responded. "Are you worried about me breaking something again?" He laughed.

"There was only one breakable thing in my apartment and last time you broke it," he answered. My apartment's survived twenty years of me. You will be no challenge." They both started laughing as they continued their walk to Lee's apartment.


	6. The Hands They

Poker Night

Chapter 6: The hands we're dealt

"There they are," commented Shikamaru. The artist-nin and their teammate were approaching Lee's apartment building from the other direction with Sakura and Naruto not far behind. He was quick to note that they were not behaving as a couple in the least. In fact, it looked like Ino was treating Sai the same way she treated him, like a good friend. She was okay, which was all he could ask for as her teammate and friend. His strictly platonic feelings for her had caused him to develop a slight overprotective streak. She was only a day younger than him and the first to become a jounin, but she was like his younger sister.

"They're not acting like a couple," noted Chouji. "They seem to be acting no different than usual." He wondered what had happened on their date. This gave him some hope. He would find out soon enough, they were getting closer and closer by the minute. Soon they were close enough that he could see the clear blue of her eyes.

"Hello Chouji," she said. The expression on her face confused him. She looked neither happy or sad. If anything she looked anxious. What had happened that she was distressed?

"Hello Chouji-kun," said Sai, speaking in his usual polite tone. He then noticed the bruises on Sai's bare arms. What had he done to upset her? His blood was boiling. Yet if their date had really gone that badly wouldn't have Ino and Sakura had put him in a traction once they were done?

"How was your date," he asked tonelessly. Shikamaru and Naruto exchanged glances. They knew exactly what was going to happen. An awkward silence lingered.

"It was a failure," answered Sai. "We're not meant to become a couple." As usual the Root nin's answer sounded like an answer out of a textbook. He thought Sakura hadn't allowed him to check out any books on dating since Ino had asked him out. He would check with his teammate's best friend later. Once again a silence settled over the group.

"We need to talk," said Chouji and Ino at the same time, who then had identical looks of shock. Shikamaru smiled at Sai, who returned it. They both knew what was going to happen as Chouji took Ino by the hand and lead her away from the group so they could talk.

"What happened," asked Naruto. He and Sakura had just caught up with the group.

"We all know what's going to happen, Naruto," answered Shikamaru. "Ino and Chouji are going to realize what we've all known since the Academy and you're going to win the pool set up right before we graduated. You'll be going into Poker Night with winnings already."

* * *

"We're almost there. Chouji-kun and Ino-chan are ahead," commented Hinata. Both of her teammates were curiously silent. It dreaded her to know that she was the cause of it. Once they reached Lee's apartment, she was going to talk to oniisan about her situation. He understood guys far better than she did and would be more than willing to help. However his idea of helping would probably be to practice his newest improvement on the "Gentle Fist" on them. Maybe to speak to Tenten or one of the other girls would be better choice. Ino was less than twenty meters ahead; maybe she could help her out. However that option disappeared once she realized that Ino and Chouji were making-out. She felt her cheeks turn red and didn't need her bloodline limit to know that her two teammates had just done the same.

She then remembered the pool that had been set-up as they were graduating the Academy. Her blond former classmate would win it once again. Little quirks such as his apparent talent for gambling had been a quality that she had always liked about him. She then felt the usual sting that came with thoughts of Naruto.

Although he had been as kind as possible when he turned her down and reminded her how much he valued their friendship, it still hurt; although he and Sakura did not flaunt their relationship, it hurt. She briefly wondered if the Uchiha had not turned traitor, forcing Naruto to eventually kill him, that things would have turned out differently. That had been the turning point for the Rookie Nine and Neji's team. It had changed everything. There were times when she wondered if Sasuke was still among them, would Sakura have still chosen Naruto?

"You're more quiet than usual tonight, Hinata-chan," commented Shino, his concern real. "Is there something on your mind?" As usual he had known it almost as if he could read her mind. Did the bugs make him more sensitive to others emotions? Or was he very empathetic? It was a quality she had always liked about him.

"Shino's right. You okay Hinata," asked her wild-looking teammate. Akamaru whined beside her. She had been around the dog long enough to know that was him parroting his partner's question. She extended her hand to pet his soft white fur. Knowing they would want an answer soon, she answered with a white lie.

"I'm tired from sparring with Neji-oniisan. Our match was difficult," she answered. This was not a lie; he never went easy on her during a sparring match, although he never went as far as he had during the Chunin-exams when they were young teens.

"I thought you could activate his curse mark," commented Shino. He had never trusted her cousin after that fight so long ago. He had been one of her most frequent visitors when she had been in the hospital afterwards. As had Kiba and to the medics dismay, Akamaru.

"I can, but I refuse to do so," she answered. "If I can, I'll remove it when I become the Head. To subjugate the Branch family like that is cruel." This was one of many goals she had when she took over for her father. The Hygua clan was going to change dramatically when she became the Head. However that was in the distant future. Now she had to deal with the problem before her.

She was still hurting from Naruto's rejection. As kind as he had been, that had only made it the worse in the end. A relationship with either of her teammates would alienate the other. She needed an escape. Maybe if she could just find a way to give herself time to make-up her mind, it would help. There was the solution. For now she would spurn the advances of both teammates until she was ready to take of risk of falling for someone else.

* * *

Neji and Tenten sat facing each other without speaking once they broke apart after Neji had demonstrated his newest variation on the "Gentle Fist" with Lee's camera after Tenten had knocked it out of his hands with a kunai. The shattered remains of the camera were on the ground and Lee had made himself busy in the kitchen.

"He didn't have to take photos," commented Tenten. "Why did he do that?"

"I think the others have a pool regarding us," commented Neji. He was still being unusually talkative, most likely from the shock of what had just happened. "Most likely Naruto won it. He has an uncanny knack for winning bets."

"I know. Remember the pool from the Chunin Exams," she asked. "I think he made enough that he paid for his rent for the next few months solely out of his winnings. Or at least that's what Sakura told me." She shifted uncomfortably as the pain in her knee flared-up.

"I thought you got that treated," he commented. His guilt for not being able to protect his teammate was apparent.

"I did, but Sakura said it had to heal naturally since the injury was caused by a jutsu," she answered. "It's just a sprain. I only need the crutches for a couple days and I can go back to active duty in a week," she added quickly.

"I know how to make you feel better," commented her teammate. He leaned-in to kiss her again. They continued until they heard the sound of the doorbell.

"I'll get it," called Lee.


	7. Let the Games Begin

A/N: Sorry about the delay and short chapter. Please enjoy it.

Poker Night

Chapter 7: Let the Games Begin

"Hello Lee-san," Sakura greeted the energetic host. Behind her were Naruto, Sai and Shikamaru, all of whom looked eager for the night to really begin.

"Hello Thick Brows," Naruto greeted him, while Sai and Shikamaru merely inclined their heads. Sakura then hit him upside the head for using Lee's old nickname.

"_Troublesome_," muttered Shikamaru.

"Greetings, my youthful friends! Come-in," he responded. The more things changed the more they stayed the same. Although Lee had grown into a talented shinobi and a tall, handsome man, he had retained the overly excitable personality he had as a teenager. Fortunately he had stopped wearing the green spandex jumpsuit.

"Hello everyone," greeted Tenten from her seated postion on the forest green loveseat, her crutches against one of its arms.

"How are you feeling, Tenten-chan," asked Sakura. It had been less than twelve hours since she had treated her sprained knee.

"A little sore, but fine," responded the elder kunoichi. "Neji and Lee didn't let me do much more than arrange the poker tables."

"How could you have done much more," inquired a familiar male voice. "To keep your balance has been a losing battle." Neji had entered the room from the kitchen. The male Hygua was being slightly more talkative than usual. What had happened? Lee broke the silence.

"Naruto-kun, it seems that you have won a certain pool. The evidence is the destoryed camera on the coffee table."

"Are you sure Lee-kun," asked the blond ninja. "If that's true, it's the second one I've won tonight, believe it. Ino and Chouji are downstairs, confirming my victory if you know what I mean." Laughter rang throughout the room.

Before anyone could comment on Naruto's statement. The door bell rang once again. Sakura was the closest to the door, so she answered it.

"Hello Hinata-chan, Shino-kun, Kiba-kun and Akamaru-chan," she said. The four walked into Lee's apartment silently.

"So did anyone else see the display downstairs," asked Kiba. Akamaru barked. "I think Naruto has won the pool again." Once again laughter filled the room.

"It's not the only one he's won tonight," added Lee.

* * *

"Should we head upstairs," asked Ino. She and Chouji had finally broken apart. However they knew that the majority of their friends had witnessed part of their make-out session. In the foyer of Lee's apartment building they were talking and tidying themselves up after the completely nonverbal confession of their mutual feelings outside.

"It's too late to go home Ino-chan," he commented. "Unless you want them to assume that we went even further." Her pale face went red at his suggestion. Despite her talent for seduction, she had high standards for herself, employing genjutsu in place of actually doing that final task.

"Let's go then," she responded as she fixed her mussed hair and wrinkled clothing. Chouji took her hand and they walked upstairs, ready for a night of fun and most likely more than a little teasing.

"So is it too late to ask how your date with Sai went," he asked her. She laughed.

"It went well, until we really talked. He doesn't have romantic feelings for me and I realized how shallow my crush on him really was, especially when he mentioned that he thought you liked me. He is very observant, even for one of us," she said. "However he would probably call it 'painful', particularly considering the number of bruises Sakura and I gave him."

Now it was his turn to laugh.

"So what did you and Shikamaru do before coming here," she inquired.

"We talked mostly. He's still in denial about his feelings for Temari-san, yet he made me admit mine for you after I asked him why every female he cares about is 'troublesome'," he replied. "I never did get an answer to that question."

* * *

The tension was getting to her. Kiba was sitting on her right and Shino on her left with Akamaru at his master's and her feet. She didn't need her bloodline limit to know that her heart was still mending from Naruto's kind, but acute rejection. A relationship with either of her former teammates was not an option.

"Shi-shino-kun, could you come with me," she asked. Although his sunglasses hid it, she knew his eyes were widening in shock. She had overcome her stuttering problem when she was 18 and rarely did it unless she was very nervous about something.

"Hai, Hinata-chan," he answered. She led him by hand into the kitchen. The bug-user was confused by the turn of events. Hinata could be assertive when she needed to be, but she was usually not this assertive. Based on this observation, he didn't know if he would be rejected or not tonight.

"You know that it has been a short time since I gave-up on Naruto-kun," she said. He nodded, dreading the probable direction this conversation would lead, that she was rejecting him. "I am not ready to pursue any relationship with anyone yet," she added.

"So this is not a rejection," he observed.

"No, it is not," she replied. "I cannot reject or accept your feelings nor Kiba-kun's yet. I am still healing. For now I'd like to focus on my training and preparing to be a jounin-sensei."

"It is fine then," he said. He then did something completely unusual; he embraced her, holding his longtime teammate.

His touch did not repulse her. Instead it felt comforting and warm, the arms of a good friend. However his timing was horrible. Just as they did so, Lee walked into the kitchen.

"Who bet on Shino in the pool over Hinata's young heart," he inquired. To no one's surprise, Naruto responded in the affirmative. Kiba ran into the room to see his teammates before they could break the embrace with Akamaru at his side.


	8. Broken Hearts & A WellFed Gamachan

Poker Night

Chapter 8: Broken Hearts & A Well-Fed Gama-chan

Kiba couldn't believe his eyes. Hinata had chosen Shino over him. Although he had known it was a definite possibility, it still hurt to see his teammates like that. How the petite woman looked so comfortable in the embrace of the tall bug-user; how he had his arms around her. His instincts took over and he fled the kitchen and Lee's 's announcement had shook him and what he had seen had broken him. In the hall he collapsed against the wall where not even Akamaru could see him as he struggled not to cry.

He focused on his breathing until he was calm enough to not cry. In this time he did not notice that Hinata was at his side.

"Hinata-chan," he said.

"Kiba-kun," she responded. "I think you misunderstood what you saw." His jaw dropped. His vision was perfect, how could his eyes fool him to make him see that horrible image. Was it a genjutsu? A practical joke by Sakura, the only genjutsu type of the group?

"What did I see then," he asked. "It looked like you and that teme Shino are together." She gasped. Before she could interrupt him, he continued, raising his voice to the point where he was almost shouting.

"I knew he liked you. I knew it! I thought you were still healing from Naruto's rejection! If I had known you were ready to pursue anything, I would have admitted how I felt already." Again she gasped. He had hit the nail on the head.

"Shino-kun does like me and you do too. I knew that. However you were right. I'm not ready for a relationship with anyone yet. That's what I told Shino in the kitchen. I wanted to tell each of you individually."

"So that's what happened tonight," commented her cousin. Neither had noticed him approach, but that was one of many reasons he'd been the first among them to become a jounin. He had obviously come to protect his cousin. She was a talented kunoichi, but he was her older cousin and a member of the Branch family. He was naturally protective of her.

"Hai, Neji," answered Kiba. Unlike many of his friends, he spoke plainly and rarely used honorifics. Using "chan" after Hinata's name was his limit. "It was a misunderstanding."

"Hn," answered the older Hygua, his eyes crossed. He wasn't fond of either of his cousin's teammates because both had crushes on her for years.

"Let's go inside. Everyone is probably worried," Hinata suggested.

"What happened? Why does Inuzuka look like he's ready to cry? I thought he was a man," commented a familiar female voice. Ino had finally arrived and she was holding hands with Chouji.

"This has nothing to do with you Yamanaka," Kiba barked. "Just go make-out with Chouji downstairs. It's about time you finally realized that he's crazy about you." Ino and Chouji both blushed.

"As tempting as that offer is Kiba-kun, we came to beat you at poker," replied Chouji. "Unless you want to pay us now instead of losing it slowly."

Laughter rang throughout the hallway.

* * *

"Should we check up on them," asked Sai. "Kiba-kun and Hinata-chan appeared upset, Neji-san appeared worried. Plus Ino-chan and Chouji-kun still have not arrived yet." Despite his emotionless face and voice, he was worried about them.

Everyone was in the living room, waiting for the final members of the group to arrive. Naruto and Sakura were sharing an armchair, Tenten and Lee were on opposite ends of one couch, Shikamaru, Sai and Shino were on the other with Akamaru whimpering at the bug-user's feet. The room was silent due to the tension that the absence of their friends had caused.

"They'll be fine," said Sakura. "Kiba-kun and Hinata-chan will talk things out. Once Neji-kun realizes there's nothing to worry about, he'll come back. Ino and Chouji are probably on their way." As Sakura said those words Lee's door bell rang for a third time.

"I'll get it," said Lee, jumping to his feet. Silence and inactivity made anxious. The sexual tension that had been created by the couples present did not help either, Sakura and Naruto especially. Although his teammates and apparently Hinata and Shino were also responsible for why he was having such a hard time as a host tonight.

Although he knew that the former teammates belonged together and understood each other, it still hurt to see them together. His infatuation with Sakura was a thing of the past, but his feelings for her had grown sincere over the years. It was not until he saw Sakura and Naruto on a date over a year ago that he had accepted that he had lost any chance he had with her.

He thought he was on the same page as Hinata, who had a similar crush on Naruto for years, but apparently he was the only one who still bore the emotional scars of love lost. Once again he would donn the smile and cheery persona he hid behind to make it through the evening.

At the door was Kiba, the Hyguas, Ino and Chouji.

"Greetings, my friends. Come in to enjoy this lovely night of poker!" Once again his smile was fake, his cheerfulness a farce. Hinata's eyes widened suspiciously. Had she seen through his ploy? Before he could determine if she had or not, he was interrupted by his loudest friend.

"Before the games begin, there's a few matters that must be settled," said Naruto. "Who bet on Ino and Chouji getting together? Who bet on Tenten and Neji getting together?" All present except for Sai and the parties involved in each pool raised their hands.

"The bet was 50 ryo. Since all those who bet in the pool are present, let's settle it now," commented Shikamaru. "Naruto won both pools, so we collectively owe him 1000 ryo or 100 ryo per person," added the lazy jounin with a smile.

"Let the games begin," commented Sakura dryly. "Since Naruto's already won some money, maybe he'll go easier on the rest of us."

"Never! Believe it!"


	9. How the Game is played

Disclaimer: All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

A/N: An error-free version of the chapter. Thanks to I am Telgar for catching the mistakes in the original. Also there's an error with the spell check, so the grammar and/or spelling isn't up to the usual par, I apologize.

Poker Night

Chapter 9: How the Game is played...

Five minutes into the game, everyone had settled into their normal patterns. There were two tables set-up, the former Team Kakashi sharing with the former Team Asuma and the former Teams Gai and Kurenai at the other. The top three from each table would soon advance to a single table where the top six would play until they decided to call it a night or until someone, usually Naruto, won the whole pot.

The first table was surprisingly pleasant. Sakura and Naruto were holding hands under the table as usual, as were Ino and Chouji. Despite the fact that mere hours earlier she had been on a horrible date with Sai, who was sitting across the table from her, there was no awkwardness.

"10 ryo each for the pot," said Shikamaru, who was the dealer for this round. He actually enjoyed dealing because he could easily make decisions on how to proceed if most of the others went first. Everyone contributed except for Sai, who folded quickly. He understood that as a sign that Sai had gotten a truly bad hand if he was willing to fold this early. Three cards where placed upon the table face-up, a King of Hearts, an Ace of Spades and a of Two of Hearts. He turned to Chouji, who was first this round.

"I'll call the bet," said his best friend. This was a normal move for him. Chouji wasn't the type to make decisions quickly. How many years had it taken him to realize his feelings for Ino?

"I'll raise," commented his blond former teammate, adding another 10 ryo to the pot. Ino was an implusive player. For her to raise this early meant that she had a good hand, most likely a pair of Kings or Aces at least.

"I'll match that," said Sakura. The Fifth's apprentice had inherited her master's lack of skill in gambling. She was too implusive and didn't notice the small details. He suspected she'd lose a lot of money to him and Naruto once again.

"I'll stay in too," added Naruto. His fellow dead-last was the best player at the table and the hardest to read. He was too unpredictable. He most likely had a decent hand.

Shikamaru looked down at his own cards. He had the Ace of Hearts and the King of Spades. He could easily win with these cards.

"I'm in," he said. "Folding would be troublesome." He then put down another two cards face-up. This time it was the King of Clubs and the Four of Hearts. He had 3 of a kind, a powerful hand in this game.

Chouji knocked on the table, signalling that he was checking this round. Ino did the same. Sakura folded quickly; he wondered if she didn't want to risk losing too much money. Naruto checked.

"Time to show your cards," said Shikamaru.

Chouji had a two and a Queen of Hearts of different suits, giving him a hand of Queen High. Naruto had an King, giving him a pair. Ino had the remaining two Aces, meaning she had three of a kind of a higher card. She won this round.

"It's going to be a long night boys," she commented.

The second table was having a much different time. Tenten's knee was bothering her, Neji was suspicious of his cousin's former teammates, Kiba was angry with Shino, Hinata and Shino were confused and Lee was attempting to smooth things over as he dealt the hand.

"Deal me out," said Tenten once they finished the first round. She was not in the mood to play poker.

"Me too," said Hinata, eager to avoid the tense feelings at their table. She helped Tenten with her crutches and they sat on Lee's couch across the room.

"So what happened with Kiba and Shino tonight," asked Tenten. She was confused as to what had happened earlier.

"What's going on between you and Oni-san," inquired Hinata. She had noticed them holding hands all night.

"We got together tonight. Don't tell anyone yet please. So what happened earlier?" She was not letting Hinata off the hook easily.

"They both like me, but I'm not ready for a relationship. I'm just getting over Naruto. I brought Shino into Lee's kitchen to tell him that, he hugged me and Lee saw and announced it to the room. Kiba ran into the hallway before I could explain anything and we had a similar conversation there, just with Oni-san overhearing."

"That sounds like a lot of drama over a misunderstanding. You sure you don't like one of them. I saw you run after Kiba-san and it looked like he had been crying when he came back. Plus you were holding his hand."

"I-I was," asked Hinata. Her stuttering habit came back when she became anxious. Tenten nodded.

"Neji's a bit overprotective of you. After the Chunin Exam when he fought Naruto, he was horrified of what he had done to you. He's been trying to make-up for it ever since," the weapons mistress told her.

"I wondered why Neji-oni-san was behaving like an overprotective older-brother tonight. When he wasn't staring at you, Tenten," said a familar male voice. Kiba was behind them. The girls giggled to Kiba's confusion, but Lee spoke before they had a chance to explain themselves.

"We're down to three people at our table. How about you guys," he asked the room in general.

"We've only eliminated Chouji and Sakura. Give us a few minutes," replied Shikamaru.


	10. And the Winner is?

Disclaimer: All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

A/N: A finale to the story. There's no sequel planned yet. Thanks to all the readers and reviewers!

Poker Night

Chapter 10: And the winner is...?

The Kohona 12's Poker Night was winding down. The final table consisted of Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Shino and Lee. This was not a surprising end to the night. Usually the core group of the winner's table was Naruto, Shikamaru and Lee. Ino was the only kunoichi to make it to the final table tonight. Usually one of the others joined her because the other three were actually decent players, despite Sakura's poor luck, Tenten's impatience and Hinata's shyness.

Ino wanted to win tonight. She had no interest in hosting the next night, but she wanted to win because she had a bet with Sakura that if she won tonight, Sakura would wear one of Naruto's old jumpsuits at work for a week. If she lost, then she would have to wear Chouji's spare armor for a week. This is one game she could not afford to lose.

Naruto was just playing for fun as usual. He knew about the bet between his girlfriend and her best friend, but would not let her win easily, despite his desire to see Sakura wear his clothes in public. (In private was a different story.) However, he had already won a significant amount from the two bets being settled tonight and had won more at the previous table. A loss here would not hurt his finances in the least, but his nindo was to never give up.

Shikamaru was dealing once again. Although he was far too subborn to admit it he loved both the game of poker and Temari no Suna. A lifetime of knowing him gave her an excellent advantage over him while playing, but he was still a genius and a tough competitor.

Neji was another genius at the table. He rarely made it this far because he did not enjoy the game as much as many of the others did. Her suspision was he came to see the weapons mistress of his old genin/chunin team, the same one he bought flowers from her family's shop for on her birthday, after every successful promotion and whenever they came back from a particularly tough mission. He was also fairly thrifty with his money. Once he lost more than he had won, he would quit and most likely join Tenten and Hinata on the couch.

Shino, the bug-user still freaked her out a little. He was a good friend of the guys, but he also covered his skin from his nose to his feet. After over a decade of knowing him, she did not even know the color of his eyes. His personality, however, she knew well. He was calm and stoic with no impulsive or reckless streaks and played the game practically. He would fold only when he realized he could not win.

Lee was the final member of the table and one of the best players. His hardworking nature had led him to read-up on the game a lot when they first started playing. His "training" had payed-off and his only real rivals at the table were her and Naruto. He was another that she would have to play skillfully against and ignore her own impulsive streak.

"I fold. Deal me out," said a familar voice, bringing her out of her pensive state. Neji had folded early and as expected he joined his girlfriend and his cousin.

"_One down, four to go_," she thought to herself.

Sakura watched the final table in awe. It was down to Shikamaru, Shino, Lee, her boyfriend and her best friend. Why had she agreed to the bet. She could already see herself in the horrid orange and black jumpsuit Naruto wore as an older teen.

"You're worried about the bet, are you not," asked Sai, who was sitting beside her. He had been the final person to be eliminated from the first table, claiming that he was still literally in pain from the earlier double date. Sakura had checked his ribs to make sure they had been healed. There were only a few bruises that could heal naturally without affecting him since he had just come back from a long mission and Tsunade-sama had given him a few days to recover.

"What bet," asked Chouji, who had joined them after folding earlier. He had decided to fold once he lost 50 ryo. He mostly came to watch Ino play anyway.

"Ino and I have a bet that if she can actually win tonight, I'll wear Naruto's old jumpsuit to work for a week and if she does not I get the honors of picking out an equally horrid outfit for the week," the Fifth's apprentice answered. Chouji responded with a good-natured laugh.

"If any of my clothes will do, you're more than welcome to them," he commented.

"Or mine," commented Shikamaru who had just joined them.

"You're done already," asked Sakura.

"Yeah, it's too troublesome to win tonight. Ino really wants to win. Based on what I heard, I think she wants to see you wearing Naruto's old clothes," he said. "Anyone want to start a game of shogi," he asked. Despite his talent for poker, shogi was still his favorite game.

"I'll take you up on the offer," replied Neji who was sitting across from the lazy ninja with his former teammate and his cousin on Lee's couch.

"A battle of the geniuses begins," commented Kiba from his perch on Lee's loveseat. The hound-nin user had developed a dry sense of humor as he had matured. Akamaru barked in agreement as Shino nodded.

"_Two to go_," Ino thought as she began another round with Naruto and Lee. After Neji, Shikamaru had folded quickly. If she didn't know better, she would think that he did it so she could win her bet more easily. More than likely, he was just in the mood to play shogi which he currently was doing, playing against Neji. It was time for her final push.

"I'm all in," she said as she put all of her winnings into the pot. Bluffing was second nature to her. Her seduction training back at the Academy had prepared her well for her bluff. A mix of equal parts innocent, clueless and seductress confused her opponents. However, the key to a successful bluff was to once in a while have all the cards and she currently held a royal flush.

"I fold. Deal me out," replied Naruto. His good instincts must be kicking-in. Either that or he wanted her to win too, which was at least somewhat likely.

"I'll match," responded Lee. He was a good player and probably had another good hand. She would simply have to defeat him.

"You sure," she asked. He nodded.

"Show your cards," he said. She revealed her hand, the royal flush, and he showed his full house, Aces over Kings.

"Good game, Ino-san," he said, offering her his hand.

"Thank you, Lee-san," she replied. Chouji came up behind her and gave her a hug.

"Congrats," he told her and then kissed her. She then turned to Naruto.

"You know the terms of my bet with Sakura, right?" The male blond nodded as her boyfriend laughed.

"She already has one. She wears it as PJs in the winter," Naruto retorted.

"If anyone wants to see Naruto's old jumpsuit once again, Sakura will be wearing one at the hospital next week and everyone's welcome at my place for next time, including any Sand nin present," she added for Shikamaru's benefit.

"I need to learn to not gamble," commented Sakura. Naruto took her into his arms and told her "No you need to learn to not gamble like your master."

The Fifth's apprentice responded by slapping him. It was the first time in years her temper got the better of her like that. He should know better than to disrespect Sakura's teacher in front of her. He wondered if he could survive long enough to propose to her, let alone marry her.

"No, I need to learn to gamble like you," she commented. "You still won the most tonight between the two pools and the poker."

" I cannot be taught. It's a gift."


End file.
